What is the relationship of cold weather to the spread of diseases? Does cold weather really cause illness?

Weather of Arabia - Centuries ago, this idea prompted mothers to insist on putting children in hats and layers of clothes to protect them from the cold, insisting not to go out after bathing with wet hair, and keeping children away from cold air currents, but if this is a myth, why do colds and influenza arrive? To peak in the winter?

Many people associate cold weather with the common cold. While cold weather is not directly responsible for making people sick, viruses that cause colds may spread more easily in cooler temperatures, and exposure to cold, dry air may negatively affect the immune system. in the body .

Etiology

With regard to infectious diseases, it is germs that cause disease, not the cold weather itself, so in order to get the flu or a common cold, you must be in contact with these viruses, as rhinoviruses usually spread through: direct contact from one person to another, or through inhalation of air that contains On tiny droplets, or aerosols loaded with virus, the virus then sticks to cells inside the nasal passages and begins to multiply and spread throughout the upper respiratory tract.

It is known that cold viruses reach their peak in spring and autumn, and influenza viruses reach their peak in winter, and although cold cannot be the only cause of disease, there is a relationship between cold and the spread of diseases, as cold air contributes to creating conditions in which lead to disease.

Viruses and the immune system

Some viruses spread more in cold weather, such as rhinoviruses that cause colds, which reproduce better at temperatures lower than the temperature of the human body, so that these degrees are usually found in the nose, as the temperature in the nasal cavity usually ranges between 33-35 degrees Celsius. , which is lower than the basic human body temperature, which is 37 degrees Celsius, which makes the nose a fertile environment for viruses to multiply.

Studies have also found that cells of the immune system initiate a stronger antiviral defense in the lung at a basic human body temperature, as opposed to a lower nasal cavity temperature. The probability of disease increases.

Other reasons that affect the immune response of the human body in cold weather are:

• Sudden changes in temperature.
• Vitamin D levels drop during the winter months due to less exposure to sunlight.
• Spending more time indoors, which increases the closeness of people to each other.
• The blood vessels in the airway narrow due to breathing in cold, dry air, which prevents white blood cells from reaching the mucous membrane, making it difficult for the body to fight off germs.

Air indoors and lack of ventilation

Cold weather may prompt most people to stay indoors where it is warm, but the air is drier, which makes it easier for cold and flu viruses to reach dry nasal passages, and lack of ventilation in winter increases the risk of disease spreading and transmission from person to person due to the presence of droplets Virus-laden sneezing in the air, researchers have found that good ventilation, as well as high indoor relative humidity, reduces the activity of the influenza virus.

air outside

Winter air outside can also be linked to the spread of influenza. Cool, dry air allows the influenza virus to survive and transmit itself. Research has found that the outer coating of the influenza virus becomes more durable in near-freezing temperatures, making it more active, more resilient, and easier to transmit in the off-season. Winter, in addition, the cold air outside reduces the ability of mucus and hairs in the nose to remove pathogens from the nose.

So, the transmission of viruses is responsible for catching colds and influenza, not cold weather. However, exposure to cold weather can increase a person’s risk of infection with the virus. These viruses may live and reproduce more effectively in cold temperatures, which makes it easier for them to spread and infect more people. People, cold weather also reduces the immune response and reduces the body's ability to fight off germs.

Cold weather and asthmatics

If you have a history of asthma or upper respiratory disease, cold weather may cause you some health complications, but you can still run outside after taking precautions. Warm up gradually before you start running outdoors, and wear a band over your mouth to help. Help warm the air entering your lungs, and plan your route to avoid possible asthma triggers, such as exposure to smoke.

protection

It is good that there are several ways that people can take to avoid getting sick during the winter, and here are some of them:

1. Take a vitamin D supplement, or eat foods that are high in vitamin D, such as fatty fish, mushrooms, and eggs.
2. Get plenty of sleep.
3. Avoid cold and dry air.
4. Wash hands regularly.
5. Always sneeze and cough into clean tissues, and if a tissue is not available, it is better to use the elbow instead of the hands, because contaminated hands spread viruses.
6. Do not share food, drinks, and eating utensils with people who have a cold or the flu.